Mr_Tiba
2017
Now this is what I want to think when I think triple A. The amount of respect Nintendo puts on Mario's name in these mainline games is fantastic. Polished to a mirror sheen this game does not think it is a cinematic experience or anything other than a damn fun video game.
Mechanically dense and complex but very easy to pick up, letting both children and speedrunning nutters have a blast.
Mechanically dense and complex but very easy to pick up, letting both children and speedrunning nutters have a blast.
2016
A true labor of love that laughs in the face of big budget Triple A franchises that take themselves way too seriously. One of the smallest open world maps I have every played, and also one of the best. Crazy what quality over quantity can do.
2013
Short, sweet and genuinely hilarious. This game only takes a few hours to complete and is really worth anyone's time. Great dialogue and even some physical comedy that made me actually laugh out loud multiple times. Always respect a game that knows what it wants to do and does that simply and effectively.
2021
Another game with some great ideas made essentially unplayable by being an absolute slog.
More frustrating things about this game.
Recruiting a demon is a total guessing game. Making designs that hinted at some sort of personality would be a way to not only flesh out the demons but also let the player feel smart about actually choosing the right option, not just guessing it.
Late game areas are a total maze. Personally, I don't believe the platforming maze gameplay does anything to enhance the core gameplay, which is genuinely complex and interesting combat.
The story is also not very good. The entire plot could have been condensed into 5 hours instead of 50 and lost nothing.
I really forced myself to try and like this, and I can often delude myself into liking something bad but with this, I just couldn't do it. The combat is great in the proper high stakes boss fights, but these are spaced with about 8 hours of boring cutscenes and pointless grinding.
More frustrating things about this game.
Recruiting a demon is a total guessing game. Making designs that hinted at some sort of personality would be a way to not only flesh out the demons but also let the player feel smart about actually choosing the right option, not just guessing it.
Late game areas are a total maze. Personally, I don't believe the platforming maze gameplay does anything to enhance the core gameplay, which is genuinely complex and interesting combat.
The story is also not very good. The entire plot could have been condensed into 5 hours instead of 50 and lost nothing.
I really forced myself to try and like this, and I can often delude myself into liking something bad but with this, I just couldn't do it. The combat is great in the proper high stakes boss fights, but these are spaced with about 8 hours of boring cutscenes and pointless grinding.
A good argument in the "video games are art" debate. Lucas Pope is a unique creator that keeps reminding us what kinds of stories indie games, and video games as a whole, are capable of telling.
2013
A good argument in the "video games are art" debate. Lucas Pope is a unique creator that keeps reminding us what kinds of stories indie games, and video games as a whole, are capable of telling.
Does it reach the immaculate tone and atmosphere of dark souls? No. Is the gameplay some of the most refined and satisfying to master ever to be put in a game? I think so.
2015
This review contains spoilers
I kept this game installed for years because I became so attached to the characters, and the meta-mechanics of the game made them feel so real that I did not want to "delete" them, which is why I never wanted to replay it. My first experience felt real and I did not want to do anything to spoil that. I cannot justify anything less than 5/5 for that kind of emotional investment. Not to mention the gameplay is unique as all hell and one of the greatest OSTs of all time.
This review is all feelings-based with no actually good argumentation for my score. But YS 1 and 2 (The 2013 remasters to be specific) are some of my favorite games ever. I could list many, many reasons why they should not have a score higher than about 3/5. But i still rate YS 1 4.5 and YS 2 a perfect 5.
I was not young when I played these games the first time. There is 0 nostalgia here. I was not playing video games during the era of the originals either. But the first time I played Ys 1 and 2 I basically played for 3 days non stop. You know that feeling that you chase when looking for new video games? The one games gave you when you were a kid. There was a magic to your favorite games that feels like it doesn't exist as an adult.
Ys Chronicles gave me that feeling.
I was not young when I played these games the first time. There is 0 nostalgia here. I was not playing video games during the era of the originals either. But the first time I played Ys 1 and 2 I basically played for 3 days non stop. You know that feeling that you chase when looking for new video games? The one games gave you when you were a kid. There was a magic to your favorite games that feels like it doesn't exist as an adult.
Ys Chronicles gave me that feeling.
2022
The only From Soft game I feel comes close to the magic of DS1. unlike DS1 though, Elden Ring is very much dependent on you going in blind and being continually floored by the scope of this game. I will never forget my first play through of Elden Ring. But I have no desire to do another play through any time soon. (Which is not strictly a bad thing. Infinite replayability is not something I look for)
2011
One of the most reviewed and analyzed games of this decade. I have nothing to say that has not already been said. Play it.
2011
Gameplay-wise, just as excellent if not better than Arkham Asylum. But I still but Asylum at a 4,5 and this at a 4 because with the increased scope (which was mostly padding with admittedly excellent gameplay) the tightness of the original I felt was lost somewhat.
Asylum knew what it wanted to do and did so almost perfectly. City tried to do so much more, which gave it more chances to mess up. Still a great game.
Asylum knew what it wanted to do and did so almost perfectly. City tried to do so much more, which gave it more chances to mess up. Still a great game.
Unironically one of the 3 or so video game stories that have affected me the most. This franchise is so strange and has so much soul and passion poured in to it. And the ending of this one hit me like a truck. It's ridiculous. Probably a bit pretentious, but man was this the game for me.
2022
Maybe I just suffer from total triple A overload but, I did not enjoy this all that much. The story is fantastic. Graphics are above gold standard of course. But there is so much fluff. Maybe the big studios feel the need to inflate the length of their games to justify the increasing price tag. Not to mention the shoehorning of the standard industry required map with objective markers, collectable crafting system, constant dialog etc, etc.
I feel like this game represents the peak of what can currently be achieved by big budget, big studio flagship projects, and the inevitability of those projects to always be sullied by forced design choices chosen by a management that have nothing to do with game development.
I feel like this game represents the peak of what can currently be achieved by big budget, big studio flagship projects, and the inevitability of those projects to always be sullied by forced design choices chosen by a management that have nothing to do with game development.